Rep. Aris, Gov. Art, team talk tourism for 2nd District

HNP SUPPORT

Rep. Aris, Gov. Art, team

talk tourism for 2nd District

By: JUNE S. BLANCO

DEVELOP more tourism destinations in the 2nd District to make a new loop that will expose the potentials of the other side of Bohol.

This was the consensus of Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado of Bohol’s 2nd District, newly minted Gov. Arthur Yap and the latter’s economic advisers in a meeting July 2 at the Shang Palace in Northtown, Taloto District, Tagbilaran City.

Aumentado said the work on the extension of the Ubay Aiport is ongoing such that it will soon become as long as the Tagbilaran Airport. When that happens, it can already accommodate planes like those that used to land at the Tagbilaran Airport.

With this infrastructure shaping up, next to the fine white sand beaches of Anda town that is a mere 45 minutes from the Ubay Airport, the solon, the governor and the economic advisers agreed that the tourism come-ons of a new loop, say of Ubay, Danao and Buenavista, must be developed in order to entice local and foreign tourists.

Danao already has its adventure park featuring the zip line, canyon jump, cliff rappelling and other activities for the not so faint-hearted. These may ned enhancement, even as Ubay has water sports in the dam reservoir to offer. Buenavista has its canoe paddling and oyster feast to boast off.

These can be improved, connected and arranged for a day tour. But the tourists’ stay can be extended if these towns can provide areas, food, more activities and facilities for camping or, if they want, glamorous camping or “glamping”.

At the same time, Aumentado said, this will be a captured market for the farmers in these areas. The farmers can directly sell their produce to institutions catering to the needs of the tourists, thereby removing the average of two to three middlemen who mark up the prices even before these reach the market.

The farmers, he added, must also be trained to augment their rice with high value cash crops (HVCCs), planted “round robin” so that the they harvest every one or two months. After all, when rice farmers harvest, they will have nothing for the next three or so months until the next harvest.

Improving the local vegetable or other crop yield will definitely fill the gap now being supplied by “imports” from Mindanao and even southern Cebu, and improve the lot of the Boholano farmers, Aumentado concluded.